the girl chums staring after her.

"What an extraordinary girl!" said Jessica. "She acts as though she'd
known us all her life, and we never set eyes on her until she marched in
and calmly interrupted us ten minutes ago."

"It doesn't seem to make much difference whether or not we like her. She
has decided she likes us, and that settles it," said Grace, smiling.
"What do you think of her, Anne? You are a pretty good judge of
character."

"I don't know yet," replied Anne slowly. "She seems charming. She must
be awfully clever, too, to know so many languages, but----"

"But what?" queried Nora.

"Oh, I don't know just what I want to say, only let's proceed slowly
with her, then we'll never have anything to regret."

"Come on, girls," said Jessica impatiently. "Let's hurry. You know we
promised to meet the boys as soon as school was over."

The girl chums walked out of the study hall, each with her mind so full
of the new girl, who had so suddenly appeared in their midst, that the
proposed call upon Miss Thompson was entirely forgotten.

CHAPTER II

CONFIDENCES

"I am the bearer of an invitation," announced Anne Pierson as the four
girls collected in one corner of the locker-room during the brief recess
allowed each morning.

"Mrs. Gray wishes to see us all at four o'clock this afternoon. We are
to dine with her and spend the evening, and the boys are invited for the
evening, too. So we will have just time enough after school to go home
and dress."

"You had better meet at my house, then," said Grace, "for it's on the
way to Mrs. Gray's. Good-bye. Be sure and be there at a quarter of four
at the latest."

Promptly at the appointed time the girls hurried up the Harlowe walk.
They were met at the door by Grace, who had been standing at the window
for the last ten minutes with hat and gloves on, impatiently waiting
their arrival.

As they neared Mrs. Gray's beautiful home, Anne said in a low tone to
Grace, who was walking with her, "I suppose Mrs. Gray has a double
motive in asking us up here to-day. I believe she wants to talk to us
about Eleanor Savell. Miss Nevin called on Mrs. Gray yesterday and they
were in the parlor together for a long time. After Miss Nevin had gone,
Mrs. Gray told me that Miss Nevin was anxious that Eleanor should
associate with girls of her own age. That is the reason she brought her
to Oakdale."

"Hurry up, you two," called Nora, who had reached the steps. "How you do